Make It Count

A Post-Pandemic Annual Plan

For Churches That Want To Hit the Mark.

Plan A Year of Ministry That Matters

PRAYER FOR YOUR MINISTRY

I pray... In this season of ministry, are aiming for accuracy, and aligning our efforts for optimal impact. May we grow stronger, together in 2023! In this season of ministry, are aiming for accuracy, and aligning our efforts for optimal impact. May we grow stronger, together in 2023! In this season of ministry, are aiming for accuracy, and aligning our efforts for optimal impact. May we grow stronger, together in 2023! - Dr. Jennell Riddick

While there is so much unrest in our communities, governments, and the world globally, we as a church family believe that we are still called to 'hit the mark'! Ephesians 5:15 reminds us that the times we are living in are treacherous and challenging for those who have faith, to keep the focus of our faith in mind. We are challenged to prayerfully do what matters and make the most of every opportunity.

Our aim is to continue with faith filled intentionality as we serve the body of Christ, the community, and each other. Diligently seeking God's perfect will and timing in all things As people of faith, the church has always been under attack, however, in these times we must be aware of the social, emotional, physical, and spiritual battle we have been enlisted in, and be encouraged that we are already victorious in Christ.

We are charged to Make It Count in 2023 by remaining purposeful in our service, in strategic in planning and prayer, and being intrepid while pursuing God's presence and power.

Rev.Dr.DwightRiddickII

Senior Pastor

In this season of ministry, we are aiming for accuracy, and aligning our efforts for optimal impact May we grow stronger, together in 2023!

The price of impactful, God focused, Kingdom building, and Community enhancing ministry is preparation through planning. Planning employs us to pause for evaluation, be prayerful about purpose, propose an unseen future and become Productive by Faith. At times it may feel expensive, but our calling to this work suggests that we should not offer to the Lord an offering of ministry that cost us nothing. Let's pay the price of preparation and MAKE THIS YEAR COUNT - Dwight Shawrod Riddick, II

Shoot Your Shot

MISALIGNMENT MISSION

Shooting in the dark with no plan.

It has been said, that anyone who fails to plan has already planned to fail. Not having any goals is like shooting blindfolded in the wrong direction and makes it nearly impossible to find success or know what to praise God for

MISS THE MARK Right Idea with No Strategy

Every good idea and vision needs great execution and planning. It is possible to have big dreams become a nightmare without proper planning So let's aim to hit the ark

MAYBE MENTALITY Good Moments With No Consistency

When you see, plan, and execute you will find success The next step is to create a system that provides consistency and discipline with there is no motivation or desire

MAKE IT COUNT Prayer, Planning, and Process of Strategic Systems

We are charged to Make It Count in 2023 by remaining purposeful in our service, strategic in planning and prayer, and intrepid while pursuing God's presence and power

ONE WINS WE ALL WIN

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

When you #MakeItCount and get it done, other's will follow your lead. Leaders influence others to WIN! Make it count, and make an impact.

Power in Words

Ephesians 5:15-17 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Vision: To see you, Lift Jesus, Love Others & Live Your Best Life!

Mission: We are spirit filled, bible believers committed to leading others toward Jesus to SEE people Saved, Engaged, and Empowered in our local community and beyond

Motto: We SEE YOU! So, let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

Words Create Worlds Conversation Dictates Culture

TARGET Major goals and emphasis for the year.

AIM - Quarterly goals towards the annual target.

KPIs Kingdom Praise Indicators are also known as Key Performance Indicators or KPIs. They help measure our progress against our goals.

Giving Units An individual who gives $200+ in a calendar year.

Water walkers An individual that gives (especially via tithes)

Encounters Contact made with members via,in person, call, text, email,etc

Progession

Empowered Leadership Training, Discipleship, Contagious Christian

Saved Salvation, Baptism, & Tribes

Engaged Growth Tract, Join Ministry, Join Connect Group

Why The Bullseye? Goal Setting

Why set goals in ministry and not just trust that God will miraculously make a way for us? Well, to be clear about God and his power, we must admit that God will make a way Actually, none of our goals are worth a grain of sand if God does not make a way. However, goal creating is a way to focus our faith, measure results, and then praise Go for the ways He makes for us Here are some benefits of Setting and Maintiaing Goals:

1

) Press towards the Mark - The main reason for goal setting is because I believe it to be biblical. God admonishes us to press toward the mark and set our eyes on things above. Having a clear mark also helps us identify our wins and losses lessons.

2

) Stay Mission-Minded - Without goals, we can do many things and accomplish nothing at all. Setting goals keeps us focused on our God's mission. It clarifies our intent, sets our course, and creates a guide that provides

3

) Express Your Faith - Show em what you working with! We may pray in private but put in public what you are trusting God to do. Then watch God bless.

4

) Give God Specific Praise - Goals are not for you to boast about your achievements or skills, They are purposed to point our praise in a specific direction. That is direct to God.

5) Placemarkers Are Not Permanent - Feel free to change goals as you go along,. They are not meant to be cemented, they are benchmarks

6

) Increased Management - You cannot manage what you do not measure. Goals provide highs and lows that inform us on performance and then help curtail our focus.

7

) Record For Rewards - Setting goals provided a track record of your progress. These records provide for you history that can be used to celebrate individuals, ministries, and the church at large for trusting God, pursuing purpose, and acknowledging God's favor.

12

Most organizations and individuals work in the context of annual goals and plans; a twelve month execution cycle. Instead, The 12 Week Year avoids the pitfalls and low productivity of annualized thinking. The 12 Week Year creates focus and clarity on what matters most and a sense of urgency to do it now In the end more of the important things get done and the impact on results is profound

Rea y

If the bullseye target is the goal then the arrows are our aim. These are individual projectiles that point toward the goal. Let's grab our arrows and set some periodic measurable aims to be sure we are on track to hit the mark. I suggest trying Brian Moran's 12 Week Year model, however, it's more important for you to choose some identified milestone moment whether that is bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or every 6 months.

Our 12 Week Aims

Aim 1: Increased Prayer Aim 2: Ministry Participation

We would like to increase the number of prayer moments and provide more prayer trainings in order to move individuals to a prayer first mentality.

We would like to have a higher percentage of members involved in our serving, Christian Ed, and outreach ministries

Aim 3: Outrageous Outreach Aim 4: Financial Independence

We have adopted 3 schools, and now want to have more volunteers more frequently involved in our community engagement beyond purchasing items.

Attendance Giving

Participation to attendance ratio

Volunteer to attendance ratio

Christian Ed Participation

We would like each of our entities (Church, Academy, & Edmonds Center) to become financially independent to allow the church to do MORE ministry and plan for growth.

If the bullseye target is the goal then the arrows are our aim. These are individual projectiles that point toward the goal. Let's grab our arrows and set some periodic measurable aims to be sure we are on track to hit the mark. I suggest trying Brian Moran's 12 Week Year model, however, it's more important for you to choose some identified milestone moment whether that is bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, or every 6 months.

Tensions (SWOT)

Be strong and very courageous You will have victory Let us not be naive to think that we can pursue Godly goals without having some challenges, opposition, or hardship Since we know they are coming, let's prepare Take a SWOT, lol, at proper planning, and like the tension used to pull back on a bow to shoot an arrow, acknowledge the tension Then you can release the arrow of faith, shoot your shot and hit the mark of ministry. Remember obstacles are part of the process, but God makes highways through Red Seas, Giants do fall, Walls can come down, and a cross at calvary experience ends with empty tombs and Pentecost power Acknolwedge and then overcome your challenges

Challenges we may face along the way

1.

StrengthsActive Outreach Ministry Strong Leadership Active Connect Groups Established Tribes/Ministries

2. 3. 4.

WeaknessesLack of access to secured resources Lack of communication between ministries Community Partnerships Optimize relationships with online parishioners/participants

OpportunitiesBurnout Lack of participation

Threats-

Loss of focus

Challenges of the 12st Century Church

Biblical Illiteracy Quite simply, people in churches (and even more those not in churches) may pay lip service to the importance of the Bible, but by and large, they do not read it or know it.

Presence Christians ought to be people of presence, connected to God and to one another through the inhabiting, unifying power of the Holy Spirit.

Disembodied Tendencies The trajectory of technology is away from the incarnational presence and toward the disembodied experience.

Compartmentalization We live our mediated lives via windows and boxes.

Boredom. We are an antsy culture. Everything is fast-paced and harried; The temptation to Reinvent the Wheel The boredom challenge leads to this challenge, to “rethink” church every couple of years.

Complexity Related to our temptation to reinvent the wheel is the temptation to complicate Christianity and church life.

Consumer Christians The ubiquity of consumerism in late capitalism has fully infiltrated the church, to the extent that “church shopping” and “what I got from the sermon” are things we say without thinking anything of it.

The Temptation to Homogeneity The consumerism of contemporary Christianity has unsurprisingly led to churches that are more homogeneous than ever.

The Temptation to Homogeneity The consumerism of contemporary Christianity has unsurprisingly led to churches that are more homogeneous than ever.

The “Authenticity = Brokenness” Fallacy At the heart of it are unbelief in change and a weak theology of sanctification, a problem that leads to claims of “this is just who I am” essentialism and immutability.

Social Media There are some positive things social media offers, but many things about it pose challenges to the contemporary church.

The Need for Racial Reconciliation The church should be no haven for racism, and yet too often the church has let racial wounds fester and prejudice (whether explicit or implicit) go unaddressed.

Gender and Sexuality This is a vast area that encompasses a wide range of things (homosexuality, gender identity, marriage, divorce, egalitarian vs. complementarian gender roles, pornography, etc.), each of which could be its own category on this list.

Brett McCracken provides 21 Challenges to the 21st-century church. here are the first 14 in his list. What other challenges do you anticipate?

Kingdom Praise Identifiers (KPI)

Let's measure what to praise God for against the Goals that we have set While KPI has traditionally been known as Key Performance Indicators, we want to repurpose the idea and be sure to stay God centered So I propose that we refer to our KPIs as Kingdom Praise Indicators. Yes, you may call it corny or too Christian, but whatever you do, consider calling them Kingdom Praise Identifiers Why the distinction? That is easy It is because He has the Keys to the kingdom and since we live, move, have our being, and only perform because of him, I think it is only proper to associate any performance we can achieve with a reason to give God praise So for our purposes, goal setting requires that we consider identifying our KPIs

What is a KPI? It is an action or data metric that can be quantified to assist in achieving a specified target, aim, or goal Leaders use them to measure their efforts and recognize God's impact on our ministries This strategy allows us to record specific outcomes parallel to our specific strategic goals during a predetermined time frame Be careful and mindful when choosing your KPIs There are so many aspects of ministry that can be measured, we do not want to be distracted. Choose KPIs for a time period that align with the goals for that same duration

Don't forget these tips when beginning to create your Kingdom Praise Indicators (KPI's)

Name Your KPIs

A. Who will record these KPI's?

Do they align with your Targets & Aims?

Can they be measured or do you have the data?

Who receives these KPI reports?

What will this data help us accomplish?

You can not manage what you do not measure, and be sure only measure what matters most for the moment.

Year 1 January 8th- March 26th

MLK Day- January 16th

Lent - Feb 22nd- April 6th

Year 3 July 9th-September 24th

Independence Day- July 4th Labor Day- Sept. 4th

Year 2 April 9th- June 25th

MLK Day January 16th

Resurrection Sunday- April 9th

Pentecost- May 28th Memorial Day- May 29th

Father's Day- June 18th

Juneteenth- June 19th

Year 4 October 1st- December 17th

Veterans Day- Nov. 10th

JANUARY

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

MARCH

Christian Education Plan

The concept has been adopted from Rich Warren's Purpose Driven Church Model.

Course Day & Time Location

Precepts for Living Sundays | 9:30 AM

Grade 1 Classroom- 2nd Floor

Virtual Vitamins Sundays | 9:30 AM Zoom Only

Holy Grounds

1st & 3rd Sundays | 9:30AM Edmonds Center

Youth Sunday School Sundays | 9:30 AM

Processional Room: Ages 11 17 Library: 10 & under

Noon Day Bible Study

Wednesdays | 12:00 PM Sanctuary

Youth Bible Study

Wednesdays | 7:00 PM

Processional Room: Ages 11 17 Edmonds Center: Ages 10 & under

New Members Class

Faith & Finance

1st-4th Sundays | 9:30 AM

Judah Room- 2nd Floor

Christian Education Plan

Christian Education Plan

Course Day & Time Location

Dating & Waiting Series- Min Jasmine & Min. Gavin Thorns to Thrones Wednesdays Feb 22nd-April 5th 12PM & 7PM Sanctuary

Book Of Esther Book of Ruth

Keep The Body Connected

PURPOSE-DRIVEN CHURCH

The concept has been adopted from Rich Warren's Purpose Driven Church Model

Worship

The church exists to worship God (Matt 4:10) we should worship because we want to, not out of duty.

Discipleship Student Ministries Administration

Discipleship is the church exists to edify/educate God's people (Col 1:28) discipleship is the process of helping people become more like Christ in thought, feeling, & action.

Outreach

Outreach ministry is the practice of looking beyond yourself to the people around you and sharing the love of Christ as you serve and connect with your community.

A student ministry is a gathered community of traditional aged students for worship, service, small groups and fellowship

Church administration is spiritual service to the Body of Christ which involves the wise stewardship of God's resources for the accomplishment of the work of ministry.

Fellowship

Fellowship is identification of the body of Christi (Eph 2:19) the church exists to provide fellowship for believers; baptism is a symbol of salvation and fellowship

O r g a n i z e Y o u r M i n i s t r y F l o w

O r g a n i z e Y o u r M i n i s t r y F l o w

Community Connections

Who

Are Our Community Partners

Religion

Influences us to worship God in spirit and in truth or through a spirit of religion. The spirit of religion that dominates this mountain distorts worship and truth with the doctrines of man, and a denial that the Holy Spirit and power of God are part of His plan for man today

Government/Politcs

Government is the structure that governs or rules a body of people It establishes conformity through rules, laws and regulations for the benefit of the community

This mountain encompasses all structured education both public and private Education is vital in society for the passing on of knowledge, skills and values Most countries have a structured process for the acquiring and imparting of this knowledge, through schooling systems

Family Agencies

As the alignment of God and man became distorted, so did the alignment within the family to the point that most parents have turned over their responsibility for molding the minds of their children to the schools and the media This means the dominant influence in the lives of children and youth are the messages of the powers and principalities that currently control the culture

Arts & Entertainment

Our desire is for God’s people (Aglow) to rise up as never before in taking back the Mountain of Arts and Entertainment: For the world to see the expression of the creativity of God in all the art forms, from music to films, from television to books, from plays to fashion, to all forms of celebration in the arts.

Economy/Banking

Distributes resources used to honor God or celebrate man The spirit of Mammon that is at the top of this mountain convinces us that money is the source of our prosperity and we have to get it ourselves or poverty will be our lot in life The faith that holds to God as our source breaks the power of this spirit This mountain finances all the others

Education Media & Communications

Media today means mass communication, of news, of information and of general communication in society, using such mediums as newspapers, magazines etc, radio, television, internet and mobile phones It is the means to reach large numbers of people

The How's On Creating and Maintaining A Budget BIBLE

We as servants of God here at St Mark Church have been commissioned to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything (GOD) has commanded.” In order to do so we must believe that God will provide finances to carry out this massive vision. Financial stewardship includes:

Providing tools & teaching about finances.

Stretching our faith with finances to Match God’s Vision.

Caring for the benevolent, community, and congregation.

Saving finances for future higher-priced ministry opportunities.

Executing day-to-day ministry. Most importantly honoring God by making the Kingdom priority.

Why Is Stewardship So Important?

We cannot manage what we do not measure. A person’s financial routine provides a peak into their life that is not seen by all.

Speaks to their relationship connection to leaders. Helps gauge their spiritual maturity with God. Commitment to our church Vision. Identifies change or consistency in personal life events. The church is expected by God to lead with vision. Vision requires Provision

ON FINANCES

We believe in 10% of Gross Income Tithing

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)

We trust God to supply what he wants us to use.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)

We want to encourage WATER WALKERS

"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:29)

We want to have Multiple Streams of Income.

Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. (Ecclesiastes 11:2)

We budget, save, and plan to spend successfully

"For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28)

let's grow together